Inter-exchange carriers, such as AT&T, provide both domestic and international telecommunications services. Invariably, the telecommunications services provided by inter-exchange carriers utilize telephone lines maintained by the inter-exchange carrier itself as well as lines maintained by other carriers. In the case of an international service, an inter-exchange carrier will utilize lines maintained by foreign carrier, such as a governmental Postal Telephone and Telegraph (PTT). To ensure high quality service, AT&T constantly tests its lines and associated equipment, making sure that each operates properly. However, the ability to test the lines of other carriers, particularly, foreign carriers, is often limited.
Testing another carrier's lines generally requires an ability to initiate a call on that line. Initiating a call on a domestic carrier's line is usually straightforward. Initiating a call on a line maintained by a foreign location carrier for testing purposes is much more difficult. Depending on the foreign location, there may be a language barrier as well as a difference in time. Sending an individual to a foreign location simply to initiate a call from a line at that location for testing purposes is not cost justified.
Thus, there is a need for a technique for remotely initiating a call from a foreign location without the need for any human intervention.